By The opinion
Nov 10, 2023, 9:15 PM EST
He Republican National Committee (RNC) warned some of the Republican presidential candidates of the 2024 elections about attending an Iowa Christian organization’s Thanksgiving forum, saying it would disqualify them from participating in future RNC presidential debates.
Five candidates (former President Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott) were invited to the “Thanksgiving Family Forum” of the Family Leader on November 17, according to CNN.
“It has come to the attention of the Republican Committee Counsel’s Office that several Republican presidential candidates have been invited to participate in an open press event in Iowa in November where they would ‘gather around the table for a moderated meeting, friendly and open for discussion on the issues.’ In other words, a debate,” the RNC attorney’s office said in a letter obtained by CNN.
In his letter, dated October 28, the office reminded the candidates that they had agreed not to participate in any debates not sanctioned by the RNC during the campaign.
“Accordingly, please note that any Republican presidential candidate who participates in this or similar events will be deemed to have violated this commitment and will be disqualified from participating in future RNC-sanctioned presidential primary debates,” the office said.
The question is what exactly constitutes a debate. According to RNC lawyer, the Iowa Christian organization’s forum is an unauthorized debate and participating in the event would violate the commitment that the candidates signed to participate in the authorized debates.
RealClearPolitics was the first to report on the letter.
The Family Leader plans to go ahead with the event, despite the RNC’s warning.
“We do not agree that our Forum fits within the RNC’s ‘debate’ restriction,” Drew Zahn, a spokesman for the group, said in a statement, noting that the Family Leader held the same event during election cycles in 2012 and 2016.
DeSantis, Scott and Ramaswamy confirmed their attendance at the event, according to Zahn.
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